Fruit-picker.



G. L. NIKON.

4 FRUIT Henn. .APPLIOATION FILEDV APE. 27, 190B.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

. P nu .0

n Virt. t

...buil

Alfil/ ...I

E r// f A :g4/wanton I 3 www THE NaRRls Ermes co. 'wAsmNcraN, n. c.

@DATES GEORGE LA NIXON, OF PORTLAND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOJOSEPH W. BROWN, OF PORTLAND, INDANA.

FRUT-PICKER Specification of Letters lPatent.

Application filed April 27, 1908.

Patented March. 9, 1909.

Serial No. 429,346.

To all odio/m it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnonon L. Nixon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county ci J ay and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Pickers, of whichthe following is specification.

This invention relates to that class of fruit-pickers which are equippedwith cooperating cutting jaws for detaching the fruit, and with a baginto which the fruit may be received without danger o bruising; and ithas for its objects to simplify and improve the construction andoperation oit this class of devices; further objects being to provideimproved means rior bracing the stationary cutting jaw and forsupporting a claw, which is utilized for the purpose ot detaching smallfruits, suoli as cherries and plums.

lVith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

ln the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferredtorni oi. the invention; it being, however, understood that nolimitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details thereinexhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within thescope of the invention, may be resorted to when desired.

1n the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fruit-pickerconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view ot' the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of theclaw used for detaching small fruits. F ig. 1 is a detail view, inelevation, out a portion or' the device.

Corresponding parts in the several iigures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

Upon the upper end or' a stick or handle 5 of suitable dimensions issecured a head 6 which has been shown as being formed with a socket 7for the reception of the shouldered or tenoned upper extremity of thehandle. The head 6 is provided with upward-extending side flanges 8, 8affording bearings for the pivoted j aw 9 and for a plurality ofindependently pivoted hoops 10, 10, which are disposed below the jaw 9.A stationary hoop 11 extends laterally from the head 6 below thelowermost hoop 10; and a hoop 12, which constitutes the stationary jawof the device, extends upwardly from the head, adjacent to the pivotedjaw 9. rPhe several hoops constituting the stationary and pivoted jawsand the stationary and pivoted hoops just enumerated may beadvantageously formed ot course steel wire; and the stationary hoop 11,together with the sta tionary jaw 12, may be very conveniently formed orconstructed of a single piece of wire, bent to forni the two hoop-shapedmembers 11 and 12 at approximately right angles to one another, thusconstituting a frame which is further provided at the angles thereofwith downward extending arms 13, having terminal eyes 14 for the passageot a pin or fastening member 15, which extends transversely through thesocketed head, and assists in securing the latter upon the stick orhandle. Y

A U-shaped wire brace 16 extends through suitable apertures in theflanges 8, and the arms or side members of said brace converge adjacentto the stationary jaw 12, which latter is flattened in its upper portionto enable it to support a cutting blade 17, which may be secured inposition by means of rivets 1S; the blade 17 is connected with the upperconverging portion of the U- shaped brace 16 by means of a bolt 19,which latter also serves to attach in position a claw 20, which has beenshown as being formed of a piece of wire, bent or doubled upon itselfand connected by means of sleeves 21, said claw being provided withdivergent terminal blades 22 having cutting edges 23, which may beusefully employed for the purpose of detaching small fruit. The pivotedjaw 9 carries a cutting blade 2-1 which cooperates with the blade 17upon the stationary jaw for the purpose of detaching fruits such' asapples and pears from the trees.

The laterally extending stationary hoop 11 carries a bag or receptacle25; and said stationary hoop is connected with the pivoted jaw 9 andwith the intermediate pivoted hoops 10 by a iiexible, collapsiblecovering 26, which may be formed of netting, t xtile material or thelike. Collapsible guards 27 also connect the stationary with the pivotedjaw, and a hood or guard 28, preferably of wire netting, is secured uponthe stationary aw 12 and the brace 16.

The pivoted jaw 9 is equipped with an arm 29 projecting intermediate theflanges 8 of the head, and said arm is connected by a suitable guidedlink 30 with a sleeve or collar 3l slidable upon the handle 5; anactuating spring 32 being suitably arranged to operate upon the link 30in such amanner that the pivoted jaw will be normally thrown open by theaction of said spring; that is to say, the action of the spring tends tomove the pivoted jaw away from the stationary jaw.

The operation and advantages of this improved implement will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description, when taken in connection withthe drawing. The device is manipulated by the handle and the jaws, whichare normally held in open relation by the action of the spring are madeto seize the fruit which will thus be detached and dropped into the bagor receptacle, the movement of the pivoted jaw being effected by slidingthe sleeve 8l downward upon the handle. Small fruits may be detached bymeans of the claw 20, without actuating the pivoted jaw. The innerportions of the jaws may be protected by soft cushioning material, asindicated at 33, to prevent bruising of the fruit.

Having thus described the invention, what` is claimed is i l. In adevice of the class described, a

head having side flanges, an upward extend head having side flanges, alaterally extending stationary hoop and an upward extending stationaryjaw secured upon the head, a spring-actuated jaw pivoted upon the head,collapsible guards connecting the pivoted jaw with the stationary jawand with the stationary hoop, cutting blades upon the jaws, a braceextending from the head to the cutting blade upon the stationary jaw, airuit-detaching claw adjacent to the cutting blade, and means connectingthe claw, the blade, and the brace.

3. In a device of the class described, a handle having a terminal tenon,a socketed head engaging the tenon and having side ianges, and a `framesecured upon the head and constituting a laterally-extending stationaryhoop and an upward-extending stationary jaw, said frame being providedwith arms disposed adjacent to the head and having terminal eyes, and afastening member extending through said eyes and connecting the headwith the handle.

L1. In a device of the class described, a handle, a flanged head securedupon the handle, a frame secured upon the head and constitutingialaterally-extending hoop and an upward extending stationary jaw, aspring-actuated jaw pivoted upon the head intermediate the stationaryjaw and the stationary hoop and provided with an arm eX- tending betweenthe flanges of the head, a sleeve slidable upon the handle, a linkconnecting the sleeve with the arm of the pivoted jaw, collapsibleguards connecting the pivoted jaw with the stationary hoop and with thestationary jaw, o o-acting cutting blades upon the jaws, a braceconnecting the blade upon the stationary jaw with the head, and a hoodsecured upon the brace and the stationary jaw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. NIKON.

Titnesses OMER S. WHrrnMAN, JOSEPH W. BROWN.

